What causes "Invalid JSON in ${label}: ${error.message}" in affaan-m/ECC?

Run the JSON file through a linter or `node -e "JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync(' ','utf8'))"` to locate the exact syntax error

affaan-m/ECC · error · Error

Invalid JSON in ${label}: ${error.message}

Error message

Invalid JSON in ${label}: ${error.message}

What it means

The readJson() helper in validate-install-manifests.js wraps JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(...)) in a try-catch and rethrows with a labeled message. The label identifies which manifest or schema file failed (e.g. 'modules manifest', 'profiles schema'). This error fires when the file exists but contains invalid JSON syntax — trailing commas, unquoted keys, single quotes, comments, or truncated content.

Source

Thrown at scripts/ci/validate-install-manifests.js:36

const COMPONENTS_SCHEMA_PATH = path.join(REPO_ROOT, 'schemas/install-components.schema.json');
const CURATED_SKILLS_DIR = path.join(REPO_ROOT, 'skills');
// Empty by default; add only curated skills that are intentionally unshipped.
const INTENTIONALLY_UNSHIPPED_SKILL_IDS = new Set([
  'skill-comply', // meta/measurement dev-skill; ships committed .pyc artifacts and a nested .gitignore, revisit after packaging cleanup
]);
const COMPONENT_FAMILY_PREFIXES = {
  baseline: 'baseline:',
  language: 'lang:',
  framework: 'framework:',
  capability: 'capability:',
  locale: 'locale:',
};

function readJson(filePath, label) {
  try {
    return JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8'));
  } catch (error) {
    throw new Error(`Invalid JSON in ${label}: ${error.message}`);
  }
}

function normalizeRelativePath(relativePath) {
  return String(relativePath).replace(/\\/g, '/').replace(/\/+$/, '');
}

function isCuratedSkillReferenced(claimedPaths, skillId) {
  const skillRoot = `skills/${skillId}`;

  for (const claimedPath of claimedPaths.keys()) {
    if (claimedPath === skillRoot || claimedPath.startsWith(`${skillRoot}/`)) {
      return true;
    }
  }

  return false;
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

Run the JSON file through a linter or `node -e "JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('<path>','utf8'))"` to locate the exact syntax error
Check for trailing commas, unquoted keys, single-quoted strings, or comments — none are valid JSON
If a merge conflict occurred, ensure all conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>) are removed
Validate against the schema file to confirm structural correctness after fixing syntax

Example fix

// before — manifest contains a trailing comma
{
  "modules": [
    { "id": "foo" },
  ]
}
// after
{
  "modules": [
    { "id": "foo" }
  ]
}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

// Validate JSON files before running the manifest validator
const fs = require('fs');
const files = [
  'manifests/install-modules.json',
  'manifests/install-profiles.json',
  'manifests/install-components.json',
];
for (const file of files) {
  try {
    JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8'));
    console.log(`OK: ${file}`);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error(`INVALID: ${file} — ${e.message}`);
    process.exit(1);
  }
}

Try / catch

// Catch the readJson error and report which file is broken
try {
  validateInstallManifests();
} catch (error) {
  if (error.message.startsWith('Invalid JSON in')) {
    console.error('A manifest or schema file has invalid JSON.');
    console.error(error.message);
    console.error('Run: npx jsonlint <file> to find the syntax error.');
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw error;
}

Prevention

Use a JSON-aware editor or linter (jsonlint, prettier) when editing manifest files
Never add comments or trailing commas to .json files — JSON does not support them
After resolving git merge conflicts in JSON files, validate with `node -e "JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('file','utf8'))"`
Run the validator locally before pushing to CI

When it happens

Trigger: Running validate-install-manifests.js when manifests/install-modules.json, manifests/install-profiles.json, manifests/install-components.json, or their corresponding schema files contain malformed JSON. This is common after hand-editing a manifest or after a merge conflict leaves conflict markers in the file.

Common situations: Manual edits to install manifest JSON files that introduce syntax errors; git merge conflicts resolved incompletely leaving >>>>>>> markers; JSON5-style comments or trailing commas accidentally introduced; file truncated by an interrupted write or CI checkout issue.

Understand the failure class

Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8d38189264457a82. Report an issue: GitHub.